xxx

Last week I had a lovely day making felt craft decorations with the lovely ladies in my craft group - The Cottage Crafters! It was our annual Christmas get together - and each year bring a dish of nibbles, a handmade gift for the secret santa sack and we embark on a christmas project. I thought you might like to see some of our super cute Christmas felt decorations ....

November ... which means it's almost December ... which means it's almost ... CHRISTMAS!!!

I've had some lovely days out this month and discovered some wonderful artists which I'll be sharing with you soon. The big news this month is that hubby has moved his music studio out of the house into a premises which means one thing friends ... I HAVE A CRAFT ROOM!!! Well I can't tell you how nice it is to have some space to work. It's almost there, and I made sure to take a 'before' piccie for you so as soon as it's ready I'll give you a peekaboo! I hope you're all keeping well and cosy, and I hope all my friends over the pond had a lovely thanksgiving with their nearest and dearest. Here's this month in pictures ...

It's been a busy month as always at AHC HQ. I've been knee-deep in recording my album this month which is coming along wonderfully, and I can't wait to share it with you when finished. I've been enjoying autumn crafts, the cosy nights, hot ribena in a flask on our chilly doggy walks and enjoying the scenery of this beautiful season. There has been some lovely clear days, but there has been plenty of drizzle too - only today I was wondering why I had wet feet on our dog walk, and it turns out the soles of my boots had come completely unstuck! Another good reason to own a glue gun me thinks! Here is our autumn month in pictures ....

August has always been one of my favourite months as it means birfdays!!!! Ralphred Muss Muss turned 6 this year, and I turned the grand old age of 17 *ahem* ... OK add a fair bit more to that. This month I've been busy crafting and and I've also shared one of my latest, most favourite cottage getaways. This was our month in pictures ....

Wow ... I can't quite believe it is the end of June. Hubby told me off the other day for pointing out that autumn was just a couple of months away! naughty me, but how it flies right?!  I don't know how the weathers been treating you over the pond, but here in the UK we're experiencing the hottest June on record - EVER! We Brits love the sun, but our country doesn't cope well with heat - my friend was glued to the middle of the road the other day when her flip flops fused with the tarmac! roads melt,  public transport comes to a standstill and the sale of paddling pools goes through the roof ... in fact I bought one for Ralphy when he was a puppy but he turned his nose up at it! I hope you're all enjoying this glorious season. Here's a glimpse at our month in pictures ....

May has been a lovely month indeed. Hubby and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary this month. We've actually been together for over 15 years, but celebrating our anniversary is still one of my favourite fings. I kept a diary in the lead up to our wedding so I would remember all the lovely little things that happened along the way ... so we read a little every night over our anniversary week! it was lovely reliving that journey. We had a lovely break in Shropshire at The Dipping shed! Unfortunately it's back to the grindstone this week. Boo! Here's this month in pictures ....

I love pottering in the garden. When my hands are in the dirt, digging, sowing, clearing, it's one of the few times that my mind in completely quiet, and at peace. I seem unable to think ahead, or worry about pressing matters ... all is quiet, except for the occasional hum of the birds and bees. I think that's one of the many reasons why I, and billions of others, love gardening and pottering in the garden so much. I've loved flowers and being around nature for as long as I can remember ... my mum has always loved gardening and my nan could grow anything - the smell of tomato plants still takes me right back to my Grandad's old greenhouse. Handing down a love-of-nature to your children is a wonderful gift, and one that I've always been very thankful for.

My little 3 year old self - picking daisies in a church graveyard.

 Often in early Spring, I'll look out at the jumbled mess that is our garden and I start getting itchy feet, coupled with "oh but there's so much to do" and "where do I start? I've left it too late!" but once I start clearing the beds a fire ignites and I become a little garden ferret, fluttering around the garden at top speed until I have aching limbs and a crooked back. Miggins then tells me off for doing too much so I  hobble in, looking to hubby for sympathy, who in turns sends me off for a hot bath - but always, despite the throbbing limbs I know I will rest happy and content, for whether or not it flourishes, I know I've spent the afternoon doing something worthwhile.

JM x

March. It's been an incredibly crafty month in AHC headquarters, and I can't believe how quickly time passes. The trees were so bare, yet so quickly life blooms. This has been a busy month on the blog, with some lovely guest posts, and since Easter is coming up I've been sharing some fab quick and easy Easter craft projects! Now I'm looking forward to some time with my family -  it's good to have some time to put the feet up and over indulge in choccie bunnies and hot cross buns. Hubby's birthday is also coming up, which is one my favourite days of the year! (after Christmas and my own birthday of course ... you know how I feel about my birthday) but I love his birthday more, since it's the day he came into the world and changed mine (grab your buckets by all means, but it's true!) But back to crafty business, here's a glimpse of the funsies I've enjoyed this month ....

I love any excuse to decorate my house in a festive manner, and I love bringing the outside in as you know.  So this week I made some Easter spring bunting with the Noolibird 'folk egg' stamp. However you needn't use a stamp for this project if you don't have time, as it would work just as well with mis-matching floral fabric.You may have seen my previous ravings about Noolibird stamps, and I assure you I'm not getting paid to promote these stamps, I just love the detail and workmanship that goes into them ... they're just so pretty! So if you'd like to get festive 'Easter-stylie' here is how I made this pretty little string of easter bunting. Use it on the fireplace or string it around a flower arrangement as I have done - and once made, you can bring it out year after year ...

Difficulty rating: Easy

Skills needed: None, some sewing but could glue / peg instead.

Time: 2 / 3 hours.

Kiddy friendly: Absolutely

Dog friendly: Probably not.

I love tea, and I drink far too much of it. You just can't beat a good cup of strong-but-milky builders tea. Miggins next door is always telling me off for making hers too strong ... "Just show it the tea bag gal, don't stew it for gawd sake!" So when a friend of mine (who is of Greek origin) recently told me to go ahead and drop half a stick of cinnamon into my tea, I told her she'd lost her tiny mind. She insisted it's very popular in Greece and said people also like to add cloves to the mix! So I humoured her, and dropped half a stick into my tea - well oh my days, it transformed my plain ole cup of tea ... it was like trying on silky pants after years of old scratchy cotton briefs! I'm not sure there's any turning back now. Not only does it give tea a sweet exotic kick, cinnamon also has fantastic health benefits. It can lower bad cholesterol and blood sugar levels, it has anti fungal, anti clotting properties, and can reduce the proliferation of leukaemia and lymphoma cancer cells, and it can also eliminate headaches and migraines. But before you start chomping into it like a mars bar be aware it is toxic in large doses, but 'a little a day will keep the doctor away' - according to Miggins.

JM x

Of all the months, January seems to get the most flack - with cold dark nights and icy mornings, it's the start of the year and we're either on diets or giving something up. Mrs Miggins refuses to give up her toy boy and evening tipple of Gin, and I've grown quite accustomed to my additional lumps and bumps, so I'm not going to be giving up my hot buttered toast anytime soon. To be honest, I'm quite enjoying this January. We've had some lovely walks, the air has been fresh and crisp and the scenery, though stark is still so beautiful. In fact, I commented on a photograph I shared recently, that no matter what mood I find myself at the start of a walk, I'm always smiling by the end, and so many of you felt the same. Here's what's new in my January so far ... would love to hear about yours?

Look who just popped into existence ... I made a little brown bear!!

He doesn't have a name as yet, so for now let's call him 'Bobo bear.' I made him for a friends baby and he's the second one I've made. I admit his arms are little long and he looks more 'mouse' than bear but there's no such thing as perfection after all. Aside from being impossibly cute, this bear comes with a heartwarming story ....

It's frosty out, and christmas has been and gone (well, almost - personally I try and milk the christmas holiday for all it's worth) We spent the New year with friends, playing games, drinking ... well tea actually, whilst wearing PJ's! I know, shameful right? though I did feel very smug the next morning when I thought of all my poorly hungover friends ;-) Before I take down the decorations and face the year ahead, I thought I'd share a look back over this last month. Here is ... our christmas story.